Women's fiction writer: strong characters, pacey plots, love stories, mystery, travel - including the overland trail to India - and historical fiction (as Janet MacLeod Trotter). Jan runs an online reading group called bookgroupies. This site includes diary entries and photos from her experiences on the hippy trail in the 1970s. Enjoy the nostalgia!

Welcome from Jan

Hi there! This blog is for those who love both books and travel. I'm starting by travelling back in time to the 1970s and the overland trail to India which I took as an 18 year old. Have a look at my daily diary entries and photos. Some of these places are impossible to visit at the moment, but I can give you a flavour of what they were like in the golden age of the hippy trail.

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

[Camp C in the desert in South East Iran was one of the more surreal and unscheduled stops on the route to Kathmandu - more Auf Wiedersehen Pet than Hippy Trail. We were there because the bus's half-shaft had broken on the rough desert tracks and needed mending before we headed into the even remoter deserts of Sistan va Baluchestan and Pakistan's Baluchistan. So we made the most of hot water and sliced white bread]

MONDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 1976
"Got up and had loads of tea and coffee in mess room while others still asleep. Geordie Dougie came in - one of a few who were late getting to the job that morning. Excuse was stopped watch! Had great breakfast of toast, ham and poached eggs! Had easy morning while waited to see if we were staying or not - half shaft had to be mended. Did some washing; beat Jan and Rob at table tennis (Chris beat me with sneaky spins); beat Mark at skittles - balls kept flying off side into pool, had to paddle to get them back!)Baluchies watched us all day instead of building! Saw one roll his turban. Dominoes in sun with Di, Chris and Shirley ...
had coffee in mess and played Mick the Irish miner at draughts - beat him 2 games to 1 ...(word got up to mine that Mick was chatting up girl from Durham and had been beaten at draughts). He was supposed to be on night duty but stayed up all day talking and drinking with us and was determined not to go on night duty while we were still here. As it was he crashed out for most of the evening!
Had meal at mess - steak, chips, carrots, soup, jelly, biscuits and cheese, coffee! Dirty miners came swaggering in during meal. Another session of beer and vodka - chatted with engineer called Dave - out for nearly a year and enjoying it. Geordies in good form again! Geordie Keith a real rough diamond but great fun - home trouble, obviously rather upset about wife etc. Both he and Mick warned me that travelling would ruin me and make me restless - Mick says never leave mark anywhere. Keith said mustn't get cynical from seeing so much (the old advice to the bairn again!)
Some dancing - only the strong few who could keep up the pace left! Even Dougie gone after raiding the fridge. Eventually we raided the kitchen - made baked beans and toast which Neva succeeeded in burning! Jelly too. Then Scotty Jim brought out bottle of Glen Livet! Geordie John (comes from Blaydon) had bought me a blanket (which I forgot to take) - wanted to keep my denim hat. He sang "Sixteen Tons" and fell about while trying to sing standing on sofa. Swapped addresses - ordered to send p.c from Kathmandu and meet in Dun Cow at Christmas! About 3 hours sleep."

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About Me

I belong to a big family and a big clan - the MacLeods. At 18 I climbed on a bus going to Kathmandu. When I eventually got home I went to Edinburgh University to do Social Anthropology and study student life. I have been a published writer since the mid 1980s. (19 novels including historical sagas, mysteries and a childhood memoirs called Beatles and Chiefs, many short stories and articles. Have edited Clan MacLeod Magazine and had a column in the Newcastle Journal).Check out my historical novels (Amazon top sellers and also best-sellers in France, Russia and Italy),childhood memoir and mystery novels (one about the hippy trail) at: www.janetmacleodtrotter.com